L;DR
- A chilling teaser trailer just dropped for We Bury the Dead, a new zombie-survival thriller starring Daisy Ridley.
- The film follows Ava, who joins a “body retrieval unit” to search for her missing husband — until the corpses she buries begin to reanimate.
- Distribution rights in North America were recently secured by Vertical Entertainment, aiming for a January 2, 2026 U.S. release.
- Critics praise the film’s emotional depth and fresh approach to familiar horror tropes, though note some reliance on genre conventions.
What is We Bury the Dead about — and Who’s Involved?
We Bury the Dead is a 2025 zombie-survival thriller written and directed by Australian filmmaker Zak Hilditch. The cast is headlined by Daisy Ridley (of Star Wars fame) playing Ava, joined by Brenton Thwaites, Mark Coles Smith, and Matt Whelan.
Set against the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment that devastates Tasmania, the story sees Ava joining a “body retrieval unit” hoping to find her husband’s remains — but her mission turns dark when the corpses she buries begin showing signs of life.
Production wrapped in early 2024 in Western Australia. The film had its world premiere at SXSW 2025.
The teaser sets a haunting tone without giving away too many plot details. It teases desolate landscapes, stifling fog, and dead bodies being handled in grim procession. A voiceover suggests urgency and desperation as Ava searches for her husband in the fallout.
Though brief, the trailer establishes the film’s core themes: grief, loss, and the horror that lies between life and death. It also hints at supernatural reanimation — the movie’s primary twist.
Where will the film be released and who’s distributing it?
In May 2025, Vertical Entertainment acquired North American distribution rights, targeting a U.S. release on January 2, 2026. In Australia and New Zealand, a limited theatrical release is slated for October 9, 2025.
Vertical expressed confidence in the film’s potential — citing the strength of its cast and the way Zak Hilditch injects fresh energy into the zombie genre.
How are critics responding so far?
Early critical reactions have been mostly positive, with reviewers highlighting Daisy Ridley’s performance and the film’s emotional core.
Screen Rant calls the film “refreshing and entertaining,” praising Hilditch’s ability to balance genre familiarity with new flourishes — though noting that some zombie tropes still slip in. DreadCentral emphasizes the film’s focus on unspoken grief and emotional residue as central to its horror.
Why We Bury the Dead could stand out
Unlike many large-scale zombie epics, We Bury the Dead keeps its focus narrow and personal. Rather than saving the world, its stakes revolve around Ava’s quest — and the unsettling transformation of the dead she’s burying. The film’s emotional weight—how loss lingers, what remains unsaid—may resonate beyond genre fans.
Visually, it is expected to combine harsh landscapes with claustrophobic horror. The sound design — especially when depicting the reanimation of corpses — is already being singled out by critics as a standout feature.
